The 48-year-old has agreed, in principle, a three-year deal with an option for a further season, and will now meet chief executive Ian Ayre and the rest of the Anfield top brass to discuss plans moving forward.

Klopp will fly to England on Thursday and will meet those players not away on international duty and the rest of the club's top brass, with the plan being to unveil him on Friday.

But, that date on October 22 will not be the first time that the former Borussia Dortmund boss will have stepped out of the tunnel at Anfield.

Shorn of Luis Suarez following his defection to Barcelona, Liverpool fans remained confident of a title challenge after the previous season's unlikely assault on first place.

With Coutinho, Sturridge and Raheem Sterling in tandem, it was hoped that a side bolstered by a number of summer signings could go one better.

Against the German runners-up - Champions League finalists just 15 months previously - Rodgers' new-look side put together a performance which suggested they would indeed challenge again - leaving Klopp shell-shocked on the touchline.

The Brazilian star, who had disappointingly not appeared for his country at the World Cup earlier in the summer, also drew plaudits from Rodgers: "I really see him over the next four or five years becoming a big talent in world football, not just for Liverpool, but Brazil."

And unsurprisingly, Coutinho also had a hand in the fourth, as the Reds attack put together a tremendous team move - Sterling, to Coutinho, feeding Sturridge who danced around a challenge - which allowed Jordan Henderson to net.